


Shattering

by DistractedSiren



Series: Bylaude One-Shots [4]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F!Byleth, F/M, Fluff and Smut, can't help it they make me soft, thirst turns into feels, with a little bickering thrown in to get things started
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-30 03:18:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20807657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DistractedSiren/pseuds/DistractedSiren
Summary: He calls her his friend, but Claude is holding Byleth at arm's length, and she decides it's high time to say something about it.





	Shattering

**Author's Note:**

> Check it out, it's my first smutty piece! And true to form, I crammed the damn thing full of feels at the end. I can't help it, these two make me soft.

The night had grown late while they gathered around the map Claude had spread across the table in the cardinal’s room. They’d taken the Great Bridge of Myrddin, secured their supply lines and cemented at tentative alliance with Count Gloucester. The Bridge had been a hard victory, but battle to take Fort Merceus would be much worse. They didn’t have nearly the amount of troops they’d need for a frontal assault, nor did they have the support and supplies required to field a siege.

Subterfuge was key, but this was one nut even Claude was struggling to crack.

Byleth could see the signs of strain he worked so hard to keep hidden from them all: the telltale tightness around his eyes, the way his mouth turned down just a little at the corners when she knew he meant to be smiling confidently for them all, the hard set of his jaw. A muscle twitched in his cheek. Her friend was holding in a lot of tension, afraid to let anyone see how much he was struggling.

Afraid to let _her_ see it.

Shamir warned them again about spies, reminding them all of the Ailell betrayal. Catherine was playing idly with one of the markers they used to indicate enemy positions on the map. Alois was falling asleep in his chair, and his snores promised to be just as loud as his shouting. Most of the Deer were still trying to appear attentive, but Lysithea and Leonie were bickering near the back of the room, and Hilda had long ago given up even the pretense of listening. Instead, she was braiding Marianne’s hair and humming to herself.

Raphael wasn’t paying much attention either. “Just point me to the enemy and I’ll take care of ‘em,” he said when his opinion was asked. Tactics might not be his forte, but his enthusiasm and dedication were things to be admired. Beside him, ignatz began dozing too.

Claude looked up, saw the state of his commanders and allies, and sighed.

“You’re right,” he said, though no one had protested, “it’s late and we should all get some rest.”

“Oh, thank the _goddess_,” Hilda groaned as she got to her feet. “I thought I was going to have to sleep under this stupid table. C’mon Marianne!”

She took the other girl’s hand and pulled her out of the room. Suddenly Byleth realized that she hadn’t seen the two of them apart since they’d all reunited at Garreg Mach.

_Ah. _It made sense, now that she thought about it, for the two young women to find solace in one another. In contrast, Byleth felt cavernous and empty. What would it be like to have the comfort and joy of someone in her bed? It wasn’t something she usually longed for, but lately…

Her eyes went to Claude. He was still gazing down at the map, his thoughts consumed by the challenge of the Stubborn Old General.

Waking up, finding him waiting for her in the Goddess Tower…she’d been restless ever since. And that feeling had been growing worse and worse the longer and more closely they worked together. It was compounded by the way that he seemed to have drawn back from her after their initial relief at reuniting. He trusted her, she knew, maybe even more than he trusted the others. But he didn’t trust her completely. He was holding himself aloof from her just as he had in the earliest days of their acquaintance, and it hurt her though she knew after abandoning him for five years she had no room to complain. She would never have left any of them if she’d had a choice, but good intentions didn’t matter much in face of the fact that they’d fought a war for five long years while she’d slept.

“Goodnight, Claude,” Ignatz said as he moved to the door, snapping Byleth out of her weary thoughts.

“In the morning, I’d like to have a word—” Lorenz started, but then he blew out an exhausted sigh. Even his energy was flagging. “Well, as I said, it can wait until morning. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Lorenz,” Claude replied. “Get some sleep.”

Leonie and Lysithea trailed out, still arguing, and Raphael followed them in hopes of searching out a midnight snack. Alois, Shamir and Catherine trailed out as well, leaving only Byleth, Judith and Claude in the cardinal’s room.

“You should rest too, boy. Fort Merceus won’t collapse of exhaustion, but you will,” Judith said. Claude rubbed his jaw and glanced up at her with a tired smile.

“Too true,” he replied, for once not seeming to bristle at being called _boy._ He must be truly exhausted, Byleth realized, if not even that got a rise out of him. “I promise I’m right behind you, Judith. I’ll get this mess cleaned up and go right to bed.”

“Are you patronizing me? It _feels_ like you’re patronizing me.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Claude said in tones of false solemnity. He touched a hand to his heart, but the twinkle in his eyes gave him away.

“Just—get to bed,” Judith snapped, too tired to spar with him the way she usually would. Her eyes cut to Byleth. “See that he doesn’t stay up until dawn, would you? You seem to be the only one he listens to around here.”

She was out of the room before Byleth could remind her that even Sothis’ powers didn’t extend that far—she would know, after all—and then the door clicked shut she realized that she and Claude were alone.

He glanced up at her for a second, his green eyes flashing in the low light. Just as quickly, however, he’d turned his gaze back down to the map. His fingers drummed restlessly on the table, a distracted tick he’d picked up at some point after leaving the Academy.

“You should get some sleep too, my friend. Tomorrow will be another long day,” he said, more to the map than to her.

“Alright,” she agreed, though the brush-off left her feeling a tad off-kilter. She made it to the door before she stopped and turned back to him. It _wasn’t _alright, they both knew it wasn’t. The artificial distance he was maintaining between them did nothing but stir up tension. She felt as though she were on eggshells, though at this point it would be something of a relief if he’d lose his temper with her. Sure, he joked and winked the way he always had, but it had never made her feel _left out_ the way it did now. She used to be able to guess at his thoughts, now he was just as guarded with her as he was with Alois, or Catherine, or anyone else he had a passing acquaintance with.

“Am I your friend, Claude?” she asked from the doorway. His head came up and his gaze swung to her in surprise. She was gratified to see that at last, she’d caught him somewhat off guard. It probably never would have worked if he hadn’t been so tired, but no clever comeback leapt to his lips tonight.

“Of course you are,” he replied with an automatic smile. Nothing of it touched his eyes.

“Hmm.” She watched him, saw the wary way he was studying her expression, like he was afraid that she was going to exploit some weakness he hadn’t meant to show her. That hurt too; she’d worked _with_ him from the moment they’d met. How could he think she was looking for ways to undermine him now?

“I used to think I was,” she agreed after a period of silence that had stiffened his spine. “I certainly still consider you to be one of my friends. Though I can’t help but notice that you’ve been pushing me away.”

He didn’t answer. His eyes were locked onto hers now and his jaw was tense with the effort of holding his mouth in a hard line. He almost appeared to be bracing himself for some sort of blow.

“That’s not it at all,” he argued when it was clear she wasn’t going to say anything more. His tone was flat, and he started to turn away again. Byleth felt her temper flash to the surface.

“Isn’t it? You apologized for using me—but that’s why I’m here, isn’t it? To help the Alliance win this war. To help _you_ win the war. Do you really think I’d still be standing here if I didn’t want to be? I’m here—quite willingly—because _I trust you._”

Her words seemed to crack some of his careful self-control at last. His hands balled into fists as he flipped back around to face her. The fire in his eyes was scorching even from half a room away. She froze on the spot as he began his approach, his gaze never leaving hers as his long legs brought him closer and closer to her.

“Is that what you think, Byleth?” he asked, his voice low and rough. A shiver ran down her spine at the sound of it. “You think I’m keeping you at arm’s length because I don’t _trust_ you?”

“I—” she began, but he cut her off.

“Did you never imagine, even for a moment, that there might be some _other_ reason I’d need to keep myself away from you?”

“Other reason?” she repeated just as he reached her. He backed her against the door, his arms coming up to cage her against it. Though it wasn’t the first time he’d invaded her personal space before, he’d never done so with such obvious intent. Her pulse was thrumming in response to the predatory look in his eyes, to his proximity, warmth, height…that cavernous feeling she’d had earlier was being replaced by something desperate and ravenous.

“I’ve kept my distance, _my friend_, because if I hadn’t, I might have done something very foolish,” he said, the growl in his voice from earlier softening into a purr as he leaned in even closer. His eyes dipped down to her parted lips and lightning shot through her as she realized how _hungry _he looked.

“Claude…” she started, but she had no idea what to say. Words skittered out of her brain before she could assign meaning to them. Everything had been replaced by a sharp, needy feeling that was making her skin seem to buzz with sensitivity.

“I’ve worked so hard to stay away, to be a good boy. I didn’t think you’d notice, but I was wrong…” He touched her at last, his hand landing on her hip and tracing the curve there. She wanted to press into his caress, she was so greedy for more. “You truly didn’t realize why I was staying away? Or what you were doing to me?”

She shook her head, and suddenly both of his hands were on her hips, and he pulled her hard up against him as his whole body pinned her to the door. She gasped and bucked against his erection, then made a low, keening noise as he buried his face in her neck and rocked against her.

“_Gods, _Byleth,” he growled against her throat. “I’ve been going crazy, trying to keep my hands off of you.”

She was trying to hitch her thigh over his hip as they moved together against the door, and her breath was coming in loud pants she couldn’t seem to control.

“I didn’t—know,” she breathed as one of his hands hiked her tunic up so he could cup her breast. “If I had known…”

“_What_?” he demanded, his hips bucking helplessly into hers. “What would you have done if you’d known?”

She dug her fingers into his hair and pulled him in for a kiss. His lips captured hers eagerly, and the slide of his tongue inside made her moan softly into his mouth. The sound of it had him nipping at her bottom lip even as his free hand urged her leg up over his hip. Their frantic grinding was turning into something else as he took control: now he held her leg high as he rolled his hips into her long and slow, thrusting his erection against her core in a way that soon made her thighs tremble and soaked her panties.

“Please, I want this.” she gasped against his lips. “_Please.”_

“Please what, Teach?” he asked, nipping her ear as he rocked into her again. “Do you need something?”

Oh goddess, he would choose now to tease her. Well, two could play at that game. She slid her hand down between them, shoved her underwear out of the way, and began toying with her aching clit.

“I need you inside me,” she whispered. “I’ve needed it for weeks. Please, Claude...”

“Fuck,” he groaned, dropping his forehead against hers as his hips jerked forward in a wild thrust. Then his hands slipped down her sides to her waist. He hoisted her up against him and carried her to the long table in the center of the room. She was ripping at his clothes while he did so, and her mouth and teeth explored the sensitive expanse of his throat.

His green eyes drank her in as, once she’d been deposited on the tabletop, she began removing her own clothing. His fingers brushed her bare skin, rolled over first one nipple, then the other. Then he lowered his head and captured one between his teeth as she shoved his pants down his hips.

His tunic came off a second later, and her panties. The skirt he simply lifted out of his way. He trailed his calloused fingertips up her thighs, drinking in the way they trembled at his lazy exploration. He could feel the heat from her, and even as he sank his wandering fingers inside of her, he knew her body would be greedy for him. She made a wild, desperate sound as his hand began to move, and soon her hips were rocking against him, desperate for more as her first orgasm danced closer.

All at once, his fingers vanished. Her back arched, seeking that delicious friction—she was _so close—_and then his tongue slid over her entrance and up to her clit.

Her hands immediately buried themselves in his hair as he swirled his tongue over her. Then he wrapped his lips around her pearl and sucked, and she shattered underneath him. Her thighs were shaking as she gasped out his name, somehow still begging for him even as the waves of her orgasm crashed over her, delicious and seemingly endless. Through it all, he watched her with hungry, hooded eyes. As he straightened again, she could see the precum dripping down his cock. He was beautiful, long and thick, and a wave of shivery anticipation stole down her spine as she imagined him sinking all the way into her.

“I can’t wait anymore,” he said as his hands urged her to spread her legs wide for him. She did, and her fingers brushed the head of his cock as he moved closer. She wrapped her hand around it, savoring his groan and the rough jerk of his hips, before she slid him up and down along her slit. Her hips bucked up against each slide, teasing them both as she rode him like she would a toy. She rubbed him against her clit, gasping and arching up hard as the pleasure spiked through her. He let her have her way while he explored her body, lingering to suck at her neck and breasts, or to capture her mouth in kisses that left her lips swollen and sensitive. He managed to hold out against the overwhelming need to plunge inside of her for a while, but it wasn’t long before every nerve ending in his body was crying out for that release.

“Byleth,” he gasped, finally breaking under her relentless teasing. “Please!”

She yielded to him, her body shivering on the edges of another orgasm as she let him have his way. It broke over her as he sank deep inside, and he let out a desperate moan as her body clenched around him in greedy waves.

The feeling of him thrusting deep into her was pure bliss made only sharper by the way her body had to stretch to accommodate him. This was pleasure like she never knew existed. Her body rocked upward to meet each stroke of his, and any attempt to stay quiet was soon forgotten as he began moving in earnest. His name burst from her, and she felt his tightly held control shudder in response. His thrusts grew hard and short for a moment as he struggled not to cum just yet, though he couldn’t stop moving entirely. Then her legs tightened around his waist and he broke again, gripping her hips as he pounded into of her.

Him losing that control sent another wave of ecstasy through her. As his thrusts grew deeper and more frantic, she did everything she could to help shatter him. Her orgasm was building a third time as she savored the sight of him lost in his own pleasure.

“I’m gonna…I’m close,” he said. His voice was hoarse with the effort of holding back, of forming coherent words.

“Me too,” she gasped, pulling his hips down into hers. He bucked against her, burying himself as deep inside of her as he could.

“Should I…?” he started. Instead of answering, she ground up into him while he was inside her to the hilt and bit his neck. He came with a shuddering cry, his hips jerking against hers as jet after jet of cum shot into her. With a wild keening sound, she followed him over the edge, shaking apart in his arms as the pleasure took over.

She floated for several breathless moments, until the chill of the room became uncomfortable against her bare skin. Even then she was reluctant to move; curling up against his warm body and falling asleep sounded much more appealing, though the table wasn’t especially comfortable and he was still mostly on his feet.

He lifted his head a little, his eyes searching hers out. She could already tell that he had questions, but for the moment she just wanted to enjoy this feeling of…completeness. She didn’t want anything, wasn’t worried about tomorrow, didn’t _feel _things she barely understood. She was at peace. Gently, she lifted her hand and touched his mouth. He hesitated, then nodded, and his many questions remained unasked.

She shivered as his body left hers, and as she pulled herself up into a sitting position on the tabletop, he picked up his ornate tunic and unclasped the golden cape from the shoulder guard. He swept it around her before pulling the tunic over his head and sorting out his pants. Next, still silent, he headed toward the doorway to gather her clothes. He was pretty much dressed, if disheveled, but her tunic, panties and cloak had all been discarded somewhere along the way. Her stockings were a lost cause, but the skirt seemed to be fine, if a bit askew.

“That door doesn’t even lock,” he murmured as he brought her clothes back to her. His cheeks were slightly flushed and he didn’t meet her gaze. “That could have been…well.”

For once, he was floundering for words. Byleth took the clothes from him, then reached up and cupped his jaw, her thumb running along the edge of his beard.

“Claude.”

He peeked up at her. He was guarded again, protecting himself in the unexpected vulnerability of this moment. “What are you afraid of?” she asked.

“That—I didn’t mean for that to happen…like that. I didn’t really mean for it to happen at all, but you—” Claude stopped and made a visible effort to gather his thoughts. “While that was both incredible and probably inevitable…I wonder…have I just ruined things, my friend?”

Byleth gripped his cape tighter around herself as she slid off the table and onto the floor. He didn’t move away from her, but he didn’t reach for her either.

“No,” she replied, deciding to reach for him. His cape fluttered to the floor as she lifted both arms to wrap around his neck. “Of course not.”

His arms came around her, tentative at first. Then, suddenly, he was crushing her tight against his chest.

“I don’t know how this works. I don’t know what happens next,” she admitted, “but I still trust you. We’re still friends. Our dreams are still the same, and we’ll make them come true together.”

His chuckle was low and soft, felt more than heard. “Put that way…it sounds like love. Do you love me, Teach?”

He meant it as a joke, one of those throwaway comments intended to defuse or conceal. Byleth didn’t treat it like that. Her arms tightened around him and she buried her face against his shoulder before saying, “Yes. I think I do.”

His head pulled back and he tried to look into her face, though she was tucked into him too tightly to be observed. He had gone very still: even his breathing was shallow, like he was trying not to spook her—like he was afraid she’d flee.

“You do?” he asked. His voice was raw. She lifted her head from his shoulder to look up at him. There was nothing shy or hesitant in her eyes, and her voice was steady as she said, “I do.”

His eyes slipped closed as he absorbed her words. Then his forehead dropped down to hers and he let out a long, heavy breath.

“I don’t believe in fate,” he murmured after a moment. “At least, I never liked the idea of it. But this…this feels like fate. I think I’d love you anywhere, in any time, across any distance.”

“Yes,” she agreed, her fingers curling into the thick brocade covering his shoulders. “Me too.”

“There’s still a war to win…and even after that, there are things I need to do beyond the borders of Fódlan.”

“Then I’ll come with you,” she replied with a shrug. “And I’ll help you.”

His lips found hers, lingered. Explored gently. “I love you, Byleth,” he whispered against her skin.

“I love you,” she replied. She let go of his shoulder and caught one of his hands. “Can I stay with you tonight?”

“Tonight, every night…always. Yeah, that sounds good. In fact, I think I’ll have to insist. I find myself rather offended by the idea that you’d stay anywhere else, now that I think about it.”

She smiled and shoved him just a little. “Good,” she replied, “but I hope for your sake you’re not a blanket thief.”

“Well, now I’m intrigued…and a little afraid,” he admitted with a laugh, watching as she salvaged what she could of her clothes. Then he took her hand and led her to his bed.

He wasn’t a blanket thief, as it turned out…but she was. He’d have to scheme up some kind of elaborate revenge when he wasn’t so tired. In the meantime, he wrapped himself around her and, feeling safe for once in his life, slept without dreaming.

**Author's Note:**

> Smut and fluff make the world go round.


End file.
